O.C. Mail Carriers’ Local Ousts Leader, Cites ‘Misconduct’ : Unions: Basilio Fontana’s stormy tenure ended when he was removed for allegedly failing to hand over his union credit card.

The mail carriers’ union in Santa Ana--the second-largest such local in the nation--has deposed its leader, accusing him of “failure to carry out the duties of office” and “gross misconduct.”

Basilio Fontana was voted out of office Tuesday by Local 1100 of the national union, which says it has 6,500 members in Orange County and Long Beach.

Fontana, who can appeal, was removed for allegedly failing to turn over his union credit card after other union officers voted to turn theirs in and destroy them. The other officers raised questions about the cards after a trip to Las Vegas that Fontana made in late 1992. Fontana, who had injured his heel before the trip, went to Las Vegas at union expense but didn’t actually attend the union health-care seminar that was scheduled, the other officers contended.

At a January union meeting, members approved turning in the credit cards; Fontana overruled them. At that point, the other union officers brought the internal charges against him.

Fontana is a former letter carrier who was in the first year of his second three-year term as president. A series of stormy meetings have occurred over his leadership of the local since last fall, with some of Fontana’s lieutenants in open revolt against him.

Tuesday’s turnout was small: Most of those attending were shop stewards who were required to be there. The vote to remove Fontana was reportedly 133 to 33. But that number was sufficient to oust him. The union’s rules say two-thirds of the members present at a meeting may vote out a president, said Art Turner.

Turner, also a former letter carrier, is the local’s executive vice president, the No. 2 officeholder. He ran for election on the same slate as Fontana.

But Turner, who later began to oppose Fontana, said 10 of the union’s dozen top officers also wanted Fontana out. Fontana, in turn, has accused Turner and four other top local officials of insubordination and misconduct.

Fontana has 20 days to appeal to the National Assn. of Letter Carriers headquarters in Washington, said Turner. National and regional union officials couldn’t be reached for comment.

Fontana could not be reached either. A flyer distributed in his support denied the charges, saying they were trumped up.

“These junior officers are politically ambitious,” said the flyer, which was distributed before Tuesday’s meeting, “and are going to stack the meeting with their votes of those looking for upward mobility and those afraid to go against the numbers.”

Turner, on the other hand, said the vote was simply about the president’s “failure to perform.”

“We’re probably one of the strongest locals in the nation,” said Turner, who would not give details of the charges. “. . . It’s too bad this vote had to happen.”

It’s not the first time a president of Local 1100 has left office before his term was up. Orange County union officials say Fontana’s predecessor, Jordon Brown, resigned abruptly without explanation about four years ago. Fontana, a longtime officer in the union, succeeded him.